


First Date

by BlueshirtBirdie



Series: 30 Day Femslash Challenge - Pepper/Victoria [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 30 Day Femslash Challenge, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-24 02:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1587752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueshirtBirdie/pseuds/BlueshirtBirdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper didn't go on this date on purpose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Date

Stark Industries was turning into quite the security monolith these days, and the addition of Victoria Hand was no exception. While Maria and Melinda were busy picking up SHIELD’s pieces, Victoria stayed behind at Stark Tower, managing the security department. She had slowly become Pepper’s right-hand woman, and Pepper was grateful for her presence. Having Victoria around made everything just a little easier, and she felt confident about the direction Stark Industries was going.

Victoria’s presence was steady and reassuring, so the last thing Pepper expected was that Victoria would surprise her. Victoria, however, seemed to have other plans.

“Pepper, this is going to be the fifth night in a row that you’ve worked an obscene amount of overtime. Go home.”

“I’m not done yet, and I stay at work until my work is done. End of discussion.” Pepper didn’t look up from her computer, and ignored the annoyed huff that had probably come from Victoria. They were colleagues, sure, but Pepper didn’t see why Victoria should be so concerned about her wellbeing. She was used to long hours, and as long as it kept the company running smoothly, she didn’t mind.

“Pepper, seriously. JARVIS said you didn’t leave your office until 11 PM last night, and you showed up at six this morning. Take the night off.”

“No.”

“What do I have to do to get you to leave this office, then? Take you out to dinner?”

That got Pepper to look up. She didn’t like the way her heart had just jumped, because she was fairly sure that was a rhetorical question.

“Depends on the restaurant.” Pepper looked back down at the computer screen. She assumed Victoria was joking, so she was going to joke right back.

“What about that little Italian place around the corner?”

“Sure, fine.” Pepper still didn’t look up.

“Seven PM sharp. My treat. I’ll see you then.” Victoria turned on her heel and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Pepper looked up and stared after her, a little alarmed. It didn’t seem like Victoria was joking, and she had just accidentally agreed to going out to dinner with her. Victoria had left her in a bit of a predicament. If Victoria wasn’t joking and Pepper didn’t end up showing up, it would be rude. But if Victoria _was_ joking, she would end up at a restaurant by herself and look like an idiot.

After a moment’s consideration, she decided to play it safe. It was slightly embarrassing to be alone at a restaurant, but it was better than standing Victoria up if Victoria was serious. She had to admit, though - Victoria was clever. Whatever Victoria’s real prerogative was, it had gotten Pepper to leave work at a reasonable hour.

After changing into a cocktail dress that looked slightly nicer than her business suit, Pepper made her way over to the restaurant. Victoria had already gotten a table and was waiting for her, and she raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Yes, you got me out of my office. No, do not rub it in.” Pepper sat down across from Victoria, not wanting to admit she had thought Victoria was joking. Victoria chuckled a little.

“I won’t, as long as you relax and have a nice dinner.” Victoria peered over the table. “And no working from your smartphone at the table.” Pepper reddened and slipped her phone into her purse.

“Since when do you give me orders?” Pepper looked down at the menu, bristling a bit from how much fun Victoria seemed to be having with this.

“I’m staging an intervention so your health doesn’t suffer,” Victoria said. Pepper was about to reply, but the waiter came around. Grateful for the interruption, she ordered her food. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she was actually a little glad to eat something non-microwaved tonight.

“I’ve run on less sleep before, and so have you. You’re just as much of a workaholic as I am, don’t give me that,” Pepper said, and Victoria gave her a look.

“I’m treating you to dinner, so I get to set the rules. No arguing about this, and no talk about work. _Relax_.”

Pepper huffed a little and pursed her lips, and Victoria raised an eyebrow, almost daring her to continue with the argument. Pepper made herself keep quiet, and took a deep breath through her nose, trying to push away some of her tension.

“…thank you for dinner, then.” Pepper made her voice a little less terse. “I’d say that I’m running on fumes and that everything is very stressful, but you already know that.”

“It’s fine, Pepper.” Victoria’s voice lost the joking quality and became more serious, but not unfriendly. “Just looking out for you.” There was a hint of gentleness in her tone, and Pepper relaxed a little.

“Maybe I’ll start cutting my hours down a little,” Pepper conceded. “I don’t do much other than eating, sleeping, and work.”

“I think that would be a good idea. But didn’t I say not to talk about work?” Victoria gave her a look, although her expression was softer this time.

“All right, all right. Then what do you suggest we talk about?” Pepper met Victoria’s eyes, and looked her over for the first time since she had arrived at the restaurant. She had been so wound up about work that she hadn’t really noticed what Victoria was wearing, but now that she had a chance to look at her, she felt her eyes widen a bit. Victoria was in a nice, dark blue suit for the occasion, and it looked incredible on her.

“Like what you see?” Victoria caught her gaze, the right side of her lips curling up into a smirk. Pepper blushed and tried to keep her composure.

“It’s a very nice suit you’re wearing. You look good.” Pepper wasn’t quite sure what was going on in her mind right now, but she was fairly sure a very tiny part of her found Victoria attractive. She shoved that part to the back of her mind, trying not to think about it.

“Thank you, Pepper.  You do, too. Green really suits you.” Victoria smiled at her, and she didn’t know what to make of it. Victoria must be noticing how red her face was, but she didn’t seem to be saying anything, and Pepper thanked the heavens above.

“It’s nice to be wearing something that isn’t pajamas or business clothes.” Pepper looked down at her menu, a little embarrassed. “Thank you, though.”

To Pepper’s relief, the waiter came and interrupted their conversation, serving the food. She took a bite of her alfredo, and then Victoria spoke again.

“You look lovely, actually.”

Pepper almost choked on her pasta, and she felt her face go bright red.

“Th-Thank you,” she managed, and in a panic, she wondered if Victoria was flirting with her. Her alarm only increased when she realized that she did not, in fact, have a problem with this.

“You’re very welcome.” She kept expecting Victoria to comment on how flustered she was, but Victoria only smiled and continued to eat her pasta. Pepper kept eating her own food, trying to use it as a distraction. It was odd enough that Victoria had asked her out to dinner in the first place, and she knew Victoria liked women, but she hadn’t expected Victoria to flirt with her like this. Pepper was still working out her own feelings about whether she liked women or not, but from Victoria’s outside standpoint, Pepper should appear very much a straight woman.

Finally, she couldn’t bear the tension any longer, and she looked up, letting the question burst out before she could stop herself.

“Is this a date?” Her tone was a bit more panicked and tense than she intended, and Victoria blinked in surprise.

“What, do you want it to be?” Victoria raised her eyebrows.

“Do _you_?” Pepper asked, and Victoria considered this.

“I wouldn’t object if it was, and if that’s what you want it to be.” Now it was Victoria who looked a little embarrassed, and Pepper found it hard to look at her. Pepper had to admit that she had a thing for people who were competent and good at being in charge, and Victoria definitely fit the bill. She took a deep breath and spoke again, deciding to take a risk that wasn’t stock market related for once.

“…yes. That’s what I want this to be.” Pepper finally looked up and met Victoria’s eyes. Victoria couldn’t seem to help smiling, and she looked more pleased than Pepper had ever seen her.

“Then it’s a date.”


End file.
